


Keeping Up With The Graysons

by BehindTheRobinsMask



Series: Keeping Up With The Graysons [1]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Nightwing (Comics), Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Dick Grayson is Nightwing, Eventual Romance, Fluff, Humor, Jason Todd is Robin, Light Angst, M/M, Twins
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-25
Updated: 2019-05-25
Packaged: 2020-03-17 11:19:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,708
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18964204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BehindTheRobinsMask/pseuds/BehindTheRobinsMask
Summary: When Mary Grayson gave birth, she had twins: Richard and Rickon Grayson.Catch the adventures of Dick and Ric Grayson as they make their way through life, finding themselves and finding love.





	Keeping Up With The Graysons

**Author's Note:**

> Song rec: Tomorrow tonight by Loote

It was a beautiful spring day when Mary Grayson gave birth to twins: Richard and Rickon Grayson, her two baby robins. Identical in every sense except their personality and the depth of their eye color (Rickon’s being one shade darker than Richard’s), the boys grew up playing around in the circus, learning their parents' art, one representing sunshine, the other as fierce as fire. But despite their differences, their opinions that never really seemed to match, Dick and Ric loved one another.

It was a cold December evening when Dick and Ric lost their parents, clinging to one another as realization slowly set in, their fingers intertwined as people came and left, knowing that they only had each other left. While Dick clung to Ric, the younger glared at anyone who dared to approach his brother, not willing to lose the last of his family.

“It was my fault,” Dick finally whispered, face buried in the crook of his brother’s neck as his voice faltered and broke.

“What do you mean?” Ric asked, doing his best to mask his emotions as he watched Batman and the police discuss the case out of hearing range.

Breath hitching, unable to control the tears that slipped from his eyes, Dick’s grip around Ric tightened. “I saw someone fiddling with the ropes but I didn’t say anything. I didn’t think… the thought didn’t cross my mind that someone would… oh God.” The older broke down, sobbing and whispering apologies like a chant and as people from the circus gathered around the older, trying to calm him down, all Ric could do was stand back and watch. His brother with a smile brighter than the sun, the one who always took care of him looked so helpless, so small now. Anger bubbling inside of him, fingers clenched, Ric made a promise to himself. No matter what the future had in store for them, he would always protect Dick.

   
  


Bruce Wayne, multi-millionaire and Gotham’s beloved bachelor, stood in the hall, flabbergasted while the Grayson twins, boys he had taken in about three weeks ago, jumped from desks to chairs, climbing high and sliding low. While one used the chandelier as his personal swing, the other slid down the banister and Bruce wondered if this was how kids these days played. Having no experience in the parenting department, for the first time in his life, he was at a loss because all those books he had read before the boys were dropped off at his house did not prepare him for this situation.

Clearing his throat, Alfred appeared and with one look from the butler, the twins stopped whatever they were doing, standing before him with their heads hanging low. Even the defiant Ric seemed apologetic under the butler’s cold gaze.

“Master Richard, the chandelier is not a swing. Please refrain from using it as one. Master Rickon, if I find you sliding down the banister one more time, rest assured that from then on, all your meals will have cucumber,” Alfred warned, his voice calm but dangerous enough to send a shiver down Bruce’s spine.

Even after all these years, Alfred had not lost his touch.

“Sorry, Alfred,” the twins apologized at once, keeping their eyes on the ground but instead of scolding them, the butler patted their heads and smiled gently when they looked up.

A wide grin spreading across his face, Dick hugged Alfred, making the older man chuckle while Ric just stood back, crossing his arms to look cool. But his pretense only lasted for a few seconds before he was pulled into Alfred’s embrace.

Looking up from the boys, Alfred gave Bruce a knowing look, a sly grin on his face. “And this, Master Bruce, is how you handle children.”

After that, for two whole days, an embarrassed Bruce Wayne wandered in the Manor, doing his best to avoid Alfred’s eyes.

   
  


Every night, a Robin flew through Gotham City, laughing under the watchful gaze of a million stars. While one quipped and played around, the other was silent but just as deadly, Batman’s two sidekicks taking turns to assist their mentor. When Dick stayed home and finished homework for two, Ric instilled the fear of a tiny bird in the hearts of crooks who dared to wander out at night. When Ric made flash cards for their upcoming class test, Dick watched criminals shiver as his laughter echoed through their hideout, white lens illuminated in the dark.

Together they worked hard to be good sons and good partners to a man to emotionally withdrawn to give them what they truly needed.

While Ric gave up after a while, understanding that his self-worth wasn’t dependent on Bruce’s approval, Dick kept trying, searching for love in the eyes of a man who was yet to see him as a son. But as years went by, the admiration in Dick’s heart turned into anger, constant shouting matches between him and Bruce echoing in the cave. Fortunately, divided between his job as Robin and the leader of the Titans, the oldest Grayson was barely home on most days.

Ric missed his brother but he never complained, knowing that Dick thrived under attention and unconditional love, something his friends at the Titans could give him. With much reluctance, he had to admit that Wally and Donna were, in fact, good for his brother.

Sadly, all good things came to an end.

A mission gone wrong and Bruce broke Dick’s heart in the worst way possible.

“You’re fired.” That was all Bruce had to say to his son as he lay in bed, recovering from his injuries. Even though he knew he had hurt Dick, even though he could hear the younger man’s voice calling him back, the vigilante had walked away.

When Ric returned to the manor after a long mission with the Titans, he found his brother’s room empty, all his belongings stuffed in boxes, ready to be shipped away.

“Alf, what the fuck is going on?” Ric asked, his blood running cold as he prepared himself for the worst.

Usually, the butler would remind Ric to watch his language but this time, he just looked away, shame swimming in his eyes. “I’m sorry to say this, Master Ric but it seems that your brother has been fired. He is no longer Robin.”

There wasn’t much left to say after that as Ric flew past Alfred, ignoring his warnings as he descended into the cave to find Bruce sitting all alone, going over case files as usual.

“Ric, you’re back,” Bruce said, his voice devoid of emotion as he continued to stare at the computer screen, not even a second to spare for his son. “There’s something we need to talk about.”

“Damn right we do,” Ric growled, his fingers digging into Bruce’s shoulder to turn the man around.

Glancing at Ric’s hand, Bruce narrowed his eyes, body stiffening and the younger man knew what was going to come next. “What is the meaning-” the masked vigilante began but was immediately cut off with a tut.

“I think the world has had enough of you talking. For now, you’re going to sit like a good boy and listen to me,” Ric started, feeling the anger in his adoptive father’s gaze but that just seemed to egg him on. “You hurt my brother. You stole his identity from him and I’m not fucking okay with that.”

“It was a necessary--”

“I don’t give a fuck about why you did it. Robin is ours. We created him, staying awake for nights to bring our parents' memory to life and you think you have a right to take that away from Dick? From me?” Ric asked, making Bruce flinch under his gaze.

“Robin is Batman’s sidekick,” the older man pointed out, trying to justify his actions.

But Ric wasn’t swayed as he stepped back and smirked. “Batman doesn’t have a sidekick anymore. You can’t fire Dick and expect to have a Robin.”

“You can’t--”

“I can and I fucking will! Don’t think that you can hurt my brother and then continue to make demands, Bruce. I fucking quit! I quit being your sidekick and I quit being your son. Maybe, somewhere down the line, Dick might forgive you for all the shit you’ve pulled over the years but I never will.” Ric finished and silence fell in the cave.

While Bruce stared at him deep inside Ric wished that the older man would come to his sense and for once let himself feel. He wished that his father would realize his mistakes and apologize so they could be a family once again. But as seconds turned to minutes, the cowl never came off and Ric finally let go.

Turning around to hide the tears that had snuck into his eyes, he raised his hand to wave. “Goodbye, Bruce.” And with that, he was gone.

   
  


Dick stared at his new apartment and all the boxes that were still left to be unpacked. This place was much different than the manor, much smaller and dirtier considering there wasn’t an Alfred to help clean up. But that didn’t matter anymore because the manor wasn’t home anymore. Dick had lost his safe space the moment he lost Robin.

Ignoring the ache in his heart, Dick grabbed his phone to place an order for pizza, too sad to cook. He had just disconnected the call when there was a knock on his door.

“That was fast,” he muttered to himself as he opened the door only to find his twin on the other side.

“Hey.” Ric waved half-heartedly, a duffle bag by his side. “Got room for one more?”

Smiling sadly at his brother, Dick hugged him tight. He didn’t need to ask any questions to know why Ric was here. Just like that cold December day, once again, they were all alone, having no one but each other.

  
 

It happened so unexpectedly.

Life away from Bruce wasn’t an easy one and Dick missed his family every day. Some nights he didn’t feel anything at all while others he was so overwhelmed by his own emotions that he didn’t know what to do. It was easier to forget and to forget, Dick threw himself into work, channeling his energy into being a better leader, friend, and brother. He might have lost his father figure but he still had Ric and there was no way that Dick would ever let himself break down in front of his younger brother ever again.

For Ric’s sake, Dick had to be strong.

Even though Dick avoided Bruce, he knew that one day, their paths would cross and he had prepared himself for such a time. Little did he know that when he would walk through the manor doors, he’d find another wearing his colors.

“Hi! My name is Jason and I’m the new Robin!” the younger boy had announced, a tinge of childlike wonder in his eyes even though he puffed out his chest to look older.

Dick hadn’t been Robin for a while. In fact, after much discussion with his brother, he had packed their uniforms so that they could be more than Batman’s sidekicks. Now, he was Nightwing, the leader of the Titans and Ric, not wanting to stray from his roots, had chosen to be Cardinal, like the spring bird. They were happy with who they had become but after Ric and Bruce’s last conversation, this was not what Dick had expected.

Despite knowing the significance of Robin, Bruce had given away their family colors, their family name to a complete stranger and he didn’t even have the audacity to inform them.

Looking away from the young boy who stared at him with admiration, Dick turned his gaze to Bruce who refused to meet his eyes. With a nod and a curse directed at himself, he realized that he was a fool.

“Hey man, you okay?” Jason asked but Dick didn’t answer.

“All the best, Jason,” he said and then he was out the door, knowing in his heart that he never meant a thing to Bruce.

   
  


When Dick reached home, he headed straight to the kitchen, digging into the fridge for something to eat, feeling Ric’s stare. But as evening turned to night, he ignored his brother’s gaze, constantly changing the topic every time the younger tried to bring up Gotham. He talked about the most random things, he laughed at jokes that weren’t funny and all the while, his eyes stung because of the tears he had shed while leaving Wayne Manor, voice constantly breaking but Ric stopped questioning him and Dick never had the heart to tell his brother the truth.

  
 

Ric found out after a week, having run into the new Robin during a job. It was an understatement to say he was furious and Dick had barely managed to drag his brother away from Jason. Fuelled with uncontrollable rage, Ric had wrecked his room. He was angry at Bruce for giving away Robin to someone else, angry at Alfred for not stopping him, angry at Jason for thinking he could wear his colors and mostly angry at Dick for accepting their replacement so easily.

“I just don’t want him to go through what we went through,” Dick had said, with so much pain in his eyes that Ric’s anger disappeared and he nodded, reluctantly agreeing with his brother’s decision.

  
 

“Come on, Little Wing! You can do better.”

The thing was, Jason didn’t want to do better. All he wanted was for their training session to be over and for his heart to stop beating so fast that it was all he could hear. With sweat rolling down his skin, white shirt clinging to his chest and wearing a pair of tights that really showcased his ass, Dick grinned at Jason and the younger was sure that any moment, he would spontaneously combust.

Growling to feel something more than the heat in his cheeks, Jason dove in, trying to get his arms around Dick’s waist but the older just laughed, grabbing his arm and flipping him onto the mat with ease. A groan escaped Jason’s lips and he was about to get up when he felt a weight on his thighs, eyes fluttering open to find the former Robin straddling him.

_Oh god. Oh god. Please, no boners. Oh god._

Grinning down at the younger, Dick held Jason’s hand above his head and leaned down until their noses touched. “Give in, Little Wing?” he asked, voice so low and almost seductive.

“I give up!” Jason blurted out and Dick laughed, the melodic sound echoing in the cave.

Placing a quick kiss on the younger’s nose, he rolled off and sat up straight, wiping the sweat from his forehead. Jason, on the other hand, curled up on the mat, his back turned towards Dick.

“You okay there, Little Wing?” Dick asked, running his fingers through the younger’s hair and just as Jason started nodding, the former Robin froze. “Oh shit! I have a date in fifteen minutes!”

Scrambling to his feet, Dick glanced at Jason. “You coming, Jaybird?” he asked but the younger shook his head.

“Nah. I think I’ll practice a little while longer,” Jason answered and Dick shrugged.

Usually, he would try to convince Jason to take a break and have fun like a normal kid but right now, he was running late. With how busy they had been lately, he barely saw Kor’i. There was no way he could be late for their first date in a long time.

Once Dick was finally out of sight, Jason rolled over with a muffled groan, his cheeks burning with embarrassment as his eyes fell on the tent in his pants. He hated the way his body reacted to Dick, the way he moved and the way he laughed. While the former Robin went out on dates with his beautiful girlfriend, Jason couldn’t stop himself from wondering how Dick’s lips would feel against his, their sweet taste melting into his mouth.

Slapping his cheeks, Jason got to his feet, ready to hit the showers and get rid of his awkward boner when nimble fingers brushed against his waist, digging into his hips to hold him in place. “Hey, baby brat,” Ric whispered into his ears, smiling against his skin and sending a shiver down Jason’s spine. “Still pining over my brother?”

Angrily, Jason pushed the older away, tugging on his shirt to hide his boner while Ric grinned at him, mischievously. “What do you want?” Jason asked, crossing his arms and refusing to meet the older’s gaze.

“Oh, I just wanted to fool around with you a little bit. Can’t I?” Ric asked, batting his eyes innocently and Jason made a gagging motion.

As much as Jason admired and loved Dick, he couldn’t stand his twin brother Ric. Unfortunately, Ric had taken a liking to him and always seemed to follow him around.

“No, you can’t so get lost!” Jason snapped, doing his best to look intimidating but he could see his attempts had failed as Ric stepped forward, invading his personal space.

Pressed between a wall and Ric’s muscled chest, Jason stared at the older man wide-eyed, heart hammering in his chest and confusion in his mind. He didn’t even like Ric so why did he feel anything except hate for the former Robin?

“If you want,” Ric whispered, pressing his thumb against Jason’s lower lip. “I could help you with that.” His eyes flickered to the younger’s very awkward boner. “And if you’re good, I might just let you fuck me.”

Jason’s face went red as his mind just shut down, seeing nothing but images of him and Ric in bed. If he was a character in a cartoon, there would be steam coming out of his ears and his eyes would be bugging out of their sockets. In his short term as Robin, Jason was prepared for a lot of things but Ric Grayson propositioning him wasn’t one of them.

“Ric!” Dick’s voice echoed through the cave, making Jason jump out of his skin. Standing by the cave entrance, the oldest Grayson glared at his brother. “How many times do I have to tell you to stop bothering Jason?”

With a shrug and a smile, Ric stepped away from Jason, holding up his hands in surrender. “I was just having a little, harmless fun,” he told his older brother but Dick wasn’t convinced as he looked towards Jason who seemed to be lost in his own thoughts.

“Jay, you okay?” Dick asked but there was no response. “Jay?!”

Snapped out of his thoughts, Jason’s eyes widened as he looked around, noticing Dick in the cave for the first time and Ric bit down on his lip to stop himself from laughing.

“Wh—what?” Jason asked, still confused.

“You okay?” Dick repeated his question and the younger boy nodded.

“Um… yeah. A-okay! Don’t you have a date?” he asked, trying to distract Dick before he asked more questions.

“Oh shit! Kor’i!” With that, Dick was running out of the cave, leaving Jason and Ric behind.

As Jason turned to Ric, the older man just winked before sauntering out of the cave and the younger slumped to the ground, knowing that a cold shower would not be enough to get rid of his boner.

 

That night, when Jason touched himself, with his eyes screwed shut, he imagined Dick’s plump lips wrapped around him but the voice whispering filthy things into his ear was Ric’s.

  
 

It happened a week later. While going over case files to distract himself from the fact that his crush on Dick Grayson wasn’t just a crush anymore, Jason found a folder with his name. Curious, he snooped around only to find that his father was a low life criminal and his mother, the woman who gave birth to him was still alive. There was anger in his voice as he pushed against Bruce, demanding how the older could keep something like this away from him but underneath that anger was hope. Hope that somewhere in this fucked up world, he had a family. Hope that maybe if he found his mother, she would welcome him with open arms and finally give him the love that he never got as a child.

With shaky fingers, not knowing who else to turn to, Jason called up Dick but when he couldn’t reach the older, he dialed a number he never thought he would.

“Hello?” a gruff voice answered.

Taking a deep breath to control his voice, Jason finally answered. “Hey… Ric? It’s Jason.”

  
 

When Jason ran away from home to look for his mother, he wasn’t alone. Ric Grayson stood by him as he chased after the three women who could possibly have given birth to him, holding him close when he was low on hope and never mocking him for wanting more than he was given. Finally, Jason met Sheila Haywood only to learn that she wasn’t what he expected. Without a second to spare, she had betrayed him and Jason’s heart was broken.

But that was okay. Betrayed and beaten, he still survived because once again, Ric had come to his aid. He pulled him through the darkness and took him back home, a place where he was wanted. As he recovered from his wounds, Jason realized that Ric wasn’t as bad as he thought.

  
 

Dick Grayson returned from his off-world mission, glad to be back home because he had missed his family so much. But as he stepped into the manor, he found Ric and Jason talking and laughing together, no animosity between them. It seemed that while he was gone, Ric and Jason had become close, closer than he expected and closer than he liked.

Jealousy thrummed through his veins as Ric ran his fingers through Jason’s hair and Dick stepped back, surprised by his own feelings. His brother was looking at the younger with such love that it hurt even though it shouldn’t have.

As Ric’s eyes lifted towards the door, he found it open but there was no one there. Scared by his own feelings, Dick had run away.

   
  


Jason felt a rush as he flew through Gotham City. Since Ric was hanging out at the Manor, there was no need for Robin to go out tonight but the younger knew that Dick was back. When no one looking (though Alfred probably knew) he snuck out of the cave to look for the older, excited to see him after so long.

Since he was busy with Titan work, Dick couldn’t stop by the manor to see Jason but he made sure to text the younger every day.

Spotting Nightwing’s silhouette on a rooftop, Jason swung around and landed on his feet, light as a cat. The older man seemed to lost in his own thoughts that he barely noticed he wasn’t alone. Sneaking closer, Jason tackled Dick, pulling out a surprised sound from the older.

“Hiya, Dickie!” Robin grinned, happily and Dick’s serious expression faded into a smile.

“Codenames, Robin,” he reminded playfully and Jason rolled his eyes.

“I’ve missed you,” the younger whispered, burying his face in Dick’s chest.

Sighing, Dick wrapped Jason in his arms, holding him close and ignoring the way his heart skipped a beat, a part of him demanding that he never let go. Before he could stop himself, he was taking in Jason’s scent. “I missed you too, Little Wing,” he whispered, kissing the younger’s temple.

Jason blushed slightly under the moonlight, no longer needing to tilt up his head because he was now tall enough to look Dick in the eyes.

“When’d you get so big?” Dick asked, affectionately as he pushed back Jason’s hair and the younger puffed out his chest.

“Soon, I’ll be taller than you,” he answered, proud.

“Whatever you say, Little Wing.” Dick grinned and flicked the younger’s forehead.

“Hey! I’m not little anymore,” Jason complained, lips turning into a pout but Dick just smiled.

“I know but you’re my Little Wing,” he said, stepping forward and cupping Jason’s face, leaning forward. “Aren’t you?”

Heart pounding in his chest, Jason’s eyes flickered from Dick’s baby blues to his plump lips. All he had to do was lean forward and he would be kissing the older, something he’d wanted to do for so long. He wanted to kiss Dick and call him his.

“Aww, isn’t this just the sweetest.” A voice made the two jump apart, Ric standing a few feet away with a wicked smile and hollow eyes.

“Cardinal, you’re supposed to be with B,” Dick pointed out, voice becoming passive.

Skipping forward, Ric just shrugged. “We separated to patrol the city. Not much is happening tonight in Gotham. Anyway, brother, there’s something you need.” All the laughter disappeared from Ric’s face, eyes darkening. “Bruce fucked up again.”

Dick furrowed his brows, wondering what his brother was talking about and following the younger’s gaze when he looked at Jason. “Little Wing?” Dick asked and Jason sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

“You missed a lot when you were gone, N,” he said.

Slowly, Jason filled Dick in on everything that had happened while he was off-world, from Bruce’s lies to his Sheila Haywood’s betrayal and watched as the older stared at him with a mixture of horror and guilt. Jason could already imagine the thoughts passing through Dick’s mind, knowing that the older would blame himself for not being by his side.

“Oh, Robin. I’m so sorry I wasn’t there,” Dick whispered, pulling Jason into a hug and the younger held him close.

“It’s not your fault, N,” Jason assured but Dick didn’t seem convinced. It was just like him to take the blame for something he couldn’t change.

Still holding Jason close, Dick looked up at Ric who was watching the two with his arms crossed. “Thank you for keeping him safe,” he said and the younger Grayson nodded.

“You’re not the only one he’s important to,” Ric said, looking away.

Not understanding the true meaning behind Ric’s words, Dick nodded and pulled away from Jason, losing himself to his own thoughts.

Glancing at Ric who was uncharacteristically silent, Jason realized that even he was thinking of something, brows pinched together. The younger would have said something to lighten the mood but all he could concentrate on was his accelerated heartbeat because he could feel Dick’s hand on his back and Ric’s fingers intertwined with his.

He didn’t understand what was happening but whatever it was, it was confusing enough to make his head spin with unholy thoughts.

Eyes going back and forth between the Grayson twins, Jason couldn’t help but remember quotes from his favorite book, ones that described everything he felt for the former Robins.

First, there was Dick Grayson, the man who had stolen Jason’s heart from the moment they had met. Kind, strong and stubborn, Jason had admired him even before they met and now, feeling his warmth, he knew that his admiration had turned into something stronger.  
  


_“You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.”_  
  


Then there was Ric Grayson, the man Jason had hated when they first met. Ric was arrogant, slightly narcissistic and just an asshole through and through. Well, that’s what Jason thought until he realized there were hidden layers to the former Robin. He was loving and protective, giving his all for his family.  
  


_“We all know him to be a proud and unpleasant sort of man; but this would be nothing if you really liked him.”_  
  


Jason’s face burned red with realization, the shade turning deeper when the twins looked at him at the same time.

“Little wing? You okay?” Dick asked gently.

“Why is your face so red? What dirty thoughts are you thinking of brat?” Ric grinned, mischief in his blue eyes.

All Jason could do was shake his head while muttering a ‘nothing’ and hoped that his lie would stick. There was no way he could be honest about his thoughts.

After all, the truth – terrifying and life-changing – was that he was in love with Dick and Ric Grayson.

**Author's Note:**

> It started with an innocent idea which turned into a series of more ideas that led to people in the jaydick server having a rareship (Dick/Jason/Ric). I know I just recently started a series but man, the thought of this ship consumed so and I just had to sit down and write. The ending is kind of a cliffhanger but that's because I'm mean and also hope to continue this one day. The possibility for angst and shenanigans is too high ya know?


End file.
